From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Tue Nov  9 23:49:50 2004
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E3EC616A4CE
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Tue,  9 Nov 2004 23:49:50 +0000 (GMT)
Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [65.173.111.5])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 814C443D1D
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Tue,  9 Nov 2004 23:49:50 +0000 (GMT)
	(envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1])
	by wonkity.com (8.13.1/8.13.1) with ESMTP id iA9NnmAi000298;
	Tue, 9 Nov 2004 16:49:48 -0700 (MST)
	(envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost)
	by wonkity.com (8.13.1/8.13.1/Submit) with ESMTP id iA9Nnm2x000295;
	Tue, 9 Nov 2004 16:49:48 -0700 (MST)
	(envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2004 16:49:48 -0700 (MST)
From: Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com>
To: Odhiambo Washington <wash@wananchi.com>
In-Reply-To: <20041109133932.GB41233@ns2.wananchi.com>
Message-ID: <20041109164018.R266@wonkity.com>
References: <20041109133932.GB41233@ns2.wananchi.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-1.5.6
	(wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Tue, 09 Nov 2004 16:49:49 -0700 (MST)
cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: Nightly backup using CD-ROM - how do i?
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 09 Nov 2004 23:49:51 -0000

On Tue, 9 Nov 2004, Odhiambo Washington wrote:

> Now instead of the above, I would like to pipe the output
> to be written to a CD-ROM mounted on the same box. I am
> hoping burncd or some other app can be used to do that:
>
> tar czf - / | burncd -arg1 arg2 blah...

tar czf - / | burncd -e -smax data - fixate

That just puts raw data on the CD, so you'll have to pull it off as a 
file.  You can use mkisofs to build an ISO filesystem so the CD will be 
readable on other systems.  See the man pages for burncd and mkisofs.

> So every night I just mount a blank CD and let a cron job
> do the backup;)
>
> I know there could be gotchas, like when the CD is not empty, etc.

tar has problems with special files; dump is better in that regard. 
There are other problems, like the size limits of CD or DVD.

-Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota USA